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The early side effects of transplants are mostly from the high-dose chemotherapy you get before the transplant, not from the transplant itself and should go away as you recover. The most common side effects listed here vary based on whether the transplanted cells came from you or from a donor. Ask your doctor which side effects you are most likely to have:

Mouth sores

Skin rash

Shortness of breath

Chest pain or tightness

Coughing

Fever or chills

Hair loss

Nausea

Strange taste in your mouth (from the preservative used to freeze stem cells)

Vomiting

Weakness

Your doctor may also do blood tests during your treatment to check for low blood cell counts. And he or she will also check your blood pressure to make sure it is not low.

Some side effects may be long-lasting or appear years later. These are possible long-term side effects:

Shortness of breath, often caused by radiation damage to the lungs

Bone damage, called aseptic necrosis, due to lack of blood supply

Another form of cancer

Severe skin rashes with itching, severe diarrhea, fatigue, and muscle aches. These symptoms may indicate graft-versus-host disease, a condition that occurs if the immune system cells in the donor’s stem cells attack your skin, liver, gastrointestinal tract, mouth, or other organs.

Lack of menstrual periods, which may indicate ovary damage and cause infertility